Do you find playing a character of the other gender awkward?

[ultrabiome]

if there is no choice, then i'm totally fine with playing as a girl. played lilith in Borderlands, played a sorceress and an assassin in Diablo 2, and have played a ton of Metroid games with mega-badass Samus Aran.

but if it's a character i create myself or have even just the gender choice (with little to no tactical difference), i'll pick male every single time. Fallout, Diablo 3, MMOs, and whenever i finally create my own Shepard - all male, every time. i usually put myself into the character, and i have a hard time getting into a female character. tried once in an MMO to have a female character and just couldn't bring myself to care about that character at all.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

No. Cos its a game. Why would it matter? Like i played ME with male and fem sheps, and the fem version was more fun.

 

[SwimmingRock]

If anything, I prefer female leads for the sake of variety. It doesn't come up often in games and I don't experience life as a woman daily, so I find the experience more enriching. Well, if it's done right. I'll be honest, I'm generally disappointed by games that let you make your own character, because it frequently doesn't feel like it matters at all.

 

[VoidWanderer]

I have no problems with playing male or female characters. I do admit that the vast majority of the characters I play are male, but I would have no problem playing a female character. As a matter of fact, I am really looking forward to playing 'Remember Me' next month.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

I generally prefer playing the opposite gender (I'm a male)
The funny thing is that most games have male protagonists because that's all the demographic for vidya games will relate to apparently, yet the opposite is true for me. I tend to relate far more the female characters than I do beefcake middle aged bald bearded dudes.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Not a single problem. In fact, if you give me the choice I'll choose female every time. Mainly because I like to see a female character in a role of power and authority (femshep, anyone)? Secondly, because I'm escaping to a fantasy world that is unlike my own. I can't shoot fireballs, or ride chocobos, and I know what it's like to be in my late 20's with dark brown hair. Being a female provides a total immersion in both a role and a world unlike the one I live in everyday.

The "pig-headed" answer? In third person games, you'll be looking at an ass for 8-??? hours. Which ass would you rather look at?

 

[kypsilon]

I've no problem with it at all. In fact, if there's a choice I'll usually play a girl character. Except in ME, I played a black dood. But I've also got a FemShep game as well, based on a character I RP'd for table top. Ahh...good ol' table top.

 

[templar1138a]

Most often, I play as men in video games, though I have played as women. Straight ones at that, when the RPG involves romance. These days, when I decide to play an RPG as a character other than that game's context of myself, I tend to make randomly-selected decisions chosen by dice roll during whatever passes for the prologue in order to determine what they're like. I also randomly decide on their sex, appearance, and orientation.

The most important thing to remember about sex and gender in games is that when you get down to it, it doesn't determine what a character is like outright. Obviously, even if you had a man and a woman with EXACTLY the same personality, they would react differently in certain situations where gender roles were connected. Still, I try to keep myself from deciding things about my characters solely based on their sex. It has an influence, but it is not the deciding factor.

 

[Therarchos]

No I don't mind playing a female protagonist (loved The Longest Journey) but I don't relate to them. If I am in a RPG or MMO I create male character (mostly ones that are like me) because I can relate to them.

 

[DeltaEdge]

It depends for me. If it is a game with a non-modifiable MC, then it doesn't really bother me at all. If there are romance options, and they involve romancing males, then it gets a bit awkward, but I'd probably still do it.

On the other hand, if the character is modifiable, and gender is one of the options, then it would definitely feel weird. I'm one of those people that project themselves heavily onto these types of characters, so there is pretty much zero chance of me playing as a female character if gender options are available. Maybe if there was some specific perk to playing as the female character like a different gameplay style, or altered story elements, then I'd do it for those specific experiences, but if the main difference is just the gender, then I will definitely only play as the male. And I probably would find it a bit awkward if was was playing as a female if there were gender options available.

So basically, in games like mmorpgs where you get to make your own character, and there is no real benefit for playing opposite genders, I will always play as a male, but if it's a game like Muramasa or Persona 3 Portable where you get a very different experience depending on the gender, I have no problem playing as the opposite gender(Except for the romance bits, but I'd still do it).

 

[Brotha Desmond]

Usually don't care. If each character has different stats/abilities then I usually just choose which one fits the style of play I want.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Strangely I prefer playing a female character when given the choice. I guess it's just because I'm a little sick of playing the "strong manly hero" archetype.

Or maybe I subconsciously want to BE a female. I dunno though, that's deep.

 

[Kotaro]

Not really. I prefer to create male characters for obvious reasons, but if it's a game without customizable characters, I'll play as whomever I like the gameplay for the most.
Johnny Novgorod mentioned Resident Evil, and I also tended to play Jill in that game. She was just more fun to play as than Chris.

 

[Playful Pony]

Nope, but as a girl I can't really be because it would badly limit the number of games I can play! Of the genres I enjoy anyway X3. I play as a girl when given the choice, unless it's a really annoying female character, or it is sexualized to the point where playing her makes me feel uncomfortable.

 

[00slash00]

i identify as female and want to be able to identify with my character, so i always play a female character when given the option. if im playing a game that forces me to play a guy i dont feel awkward, but the writing then has to work hard to make me feel as close with the character because i can no longer just imagine myself in that role.

what i do find awkward is when people play as a different gender for sexual appeal. i can understand a man playing a female because he thinks the female designs look cooler (like if someones playing a wizard in wow and picks a female because he doesnt want a character who looks like they've spent more time at the gym than in the library). but the guys who play a female because they want to be able to stare at her ass the whole game, creep me out a little

 

[jdogtwodolla]

Nope. I'm playing Jade Empire right now and I sometimes forget there was even a choice in the beginning. Any player becomes natural to me really.

 

[WindKnight]

If there is a set, single character, it doesn't bother me at all. If there's a choice of characters, then not having a female option to choose will bug me and negatively affect my opinion of the game, if not the enjoyment. if there's extensive character customisation, and still no female options... yeah, I'll pass on the game.

 

[lawrencein]

Never found it awkward in the slightest. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I never self insert. I've never felt that a character was me or was supposed to represent me in any way, they are always their own separate entities.

 

[ninjaRiv]

I enjoy playing as both when I get the chance, especially if NPC's have different reactions based on gender. I like to get the full package, even if the only difference is "she" instead of "he" in dialogue.

I don't think anybody really cares, do they? Certainly not the majority of the audience. I think it's important to relate to a character and, unless the game is about giving birth, periods and bras and that's it, gender doesn't change anything.